Despite the demonetisation of 2016 and the rise in digital transactions that followed, the economy's dependence on cash has remained as high as ever. So when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced a pilot project of its version of digital cash - called the central bank digital currency (CBDC) - on December 1, many questions were asked. Can the CBDC replace physical cash, even partially? Can it match cash in terms of convenience? Are CBDC transactions truly anonymous?
Bassi said his transfer to Andaman and Nicobar Islands on October 24 is "malafide and derails a sensitive probe" and added that allegations against Asthana are "grave".
The island nation of Maldives is everything that it promises to be and more discovers Mridula Dwivedi
That includes the building of an anti-submarine warfare Corvette and an aircraft carrier for the navy.
Ekta Mohanani Kamra, travel enthusiast and founder, Hop & Bop, lists places and activities to add to your monsoon bucket list.
The thanks-giving activities will start with laying of wreaths at the police memorial in Delhi and in several other cities on Sunday morning to honour the police personnel deployed in enforcement of the nationwide lockdown, officials said. It will be followed by fly-pasts by fighter and transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force, covering a sizeable number of cities and towns across the country between 10 am and 11 am, officials said.
Indian Air Force's latest acquisition, the C-17 Globemaster-III made its maiden flight to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands on June 30.
5 planes and 13 ships are out trying to track the aircraft, which was carrying 29 people on board.
At least 21 persons died on Sunday when the tourist boat carrying them capsized in the Bay of Bengal near Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, official sources said. The boat carrying 45 people -- tourists from Kanchi Puram district of Tamil Nadu and Mumbai, and crewmembers -- sank on its way from Ross Island to North Bay.
Rediff readers share their best travel photographs of India.
Police have registered a case against unknown persons in connection with the shooting and uploading of a video showing semi-naked Jarawa tribal women dancing in front of tourists.
India is stepping up its research capabilities to pick up early signals of an impending earthquake by setting up a network of observatories to study the intricate processes that take place in seismically active zones.
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The police in a statement in Port Blair said that Rajesh Vyas, owner of a gift shop, and Guddu, a taxi driver, were arrested after it was found that the duo allegedly help tourists visit the protected land for Jarawas and arrange video recording of these people.
Authorities from Tihar jail on Saturday ordered an inquiry into reports claiming that sacked Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi is getting special treatment inside the jail premises.
Ahead of Mother's Day, Rediff readers write about their mothers and tell us what they mean to them.
Anita Aikara/Rediff.com shares pics from her travel to the Andaman Islands.
All India average retail tomato price, which has shot up by 63 per cent to Rs 67 per kg over the last year due to unseasonal rains, are likely to soften from December with the arrival of fresh crop from northern states, the government said on Friday. In the case of onions, retail prices have substantially subsided below to the level that prevailed in 2020 and also 2019, it said. "Tomato arrivals from north Indian states will start from the beginning of December itself, which will add to availability and lead to fall in prices.
M Nageswar Rao, who took over the duties and functions of CBI director late on Tuesday night, appointed Satish Dagar as superintendent of police to probe the case, they said.
Two nuclear scientists, who have conducted a preliminary investigation of the seized North Koran ship MV Mu San, have said the vessel does not contain any trace of chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear material.The North Korean vessel dropped the anchor at Hut Bay on August 6 without the permission of Indian authorities. It was detained by the Indian Coast Guard after an over six-hour chase.
Exercise Milan, the largest four-day naval war game hosted by India started on Friday with the participation of 12 navies of the Asia-Pacific region within the context of the Indian Navy's 'Look East' policy and naval interactions to this effect.
The state broadcasters have started the practice, but private news channels may follow suit, a ministry source said.
The seized North Korean ship was inspected for the second time on Monday, for any trace of nuclear material after it reached Kakinada port in Andhra Pradesh. During its preliminary probe, a team of nuclear scientists from Kalapakkam ruled out prima facie any existence of any "CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear) traces" in the ship.
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A great intensity earthquake of 7.6 magnitude on Richter scale struck off the Andaman and Nicobar islands today, Indian Meteorological Department said.
India is sending two naval ships with relief and medical supplies to Myanmar, where a severe cyclone claimed over 3,000 lives and rendered thousands more homeless. The ships, carrying food items, tents, blankets, clothing and medicines will sail to Yangon from Port Blair, the External Affairs Ministry announced in New Delhi. The top leadership has conveyed India's readiness to provide immediate emergency relief assistance and to assist Myanmar in its rehabilitation efforts.
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In the wake of 73 confirmed cases of coronavirus in India so far, the Union health ministry has made functional 52 laboratories for testing samples while 57 labs have been designated for helping in sample collection for Covid-19 to enhance capacity for diagnosis and detection of the disease. "Following the increase in load of screening samples from suspected cases with symptoms and travel history to the affected countries, the department of health research/ICMR has commissioned 52 laboratories for COVID-19 testing in India," an official said.
Readers share their best monsoon memories.
'Wanting to see the bright side of things, we always told ourselves, 'It could have been worse!', when the situation got tough.' Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd), who helped rebuild the IAF's Car Nicobar air base after the 2004 tsunami, recalls the devastation on United Nations World Tsunami Awareness Day.
The last hurdle in the way of a second airport for Mumbai, at Navi Mumbai, was cleared by the central government on Monday. The Union ministry of environment and forests issued a notification granting exemption to the second airport from costal regulatory zone regulations, on the lines of an earlier exemption granted for an airport at Port Blair in the Andamans.
The accident took place on board Indian Navy's latest acquisition, INS Jalashwa, while the ship was taking part in the Naval exercises between Visakhapatnam and Port Blair, the Indian Navy spokesman said.
An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale shook the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Chennai on Friday, triggering panic among residents.With its epicentre near Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the quake occurring at around 5 pm lasted a few seconds and rocked several parts of Chennai including the busy T Nagar, Nugambakkam and Koyambedu areas, Met office sources and the police told PTI.
Go for tuna. That is the message Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh has to give to marine exporters.
India's only live volcano in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which had started showing activity in the year 1991 after being dormant for over 150 years has once again started spewing ash, researchers at Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography said on Friday.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were again jolted by three successive tremors on Saturday, just a day after three quakes shook the islands, official sources said.Deputy Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, S N Jha said, the latest tremor measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale was felt at 6.26 pm today.Jha said the epicentre of the quake was located 132 km south-west of Port Blair, 35 km beneath the sea.
Indian authorities continue to distinguish domestic from foreign travellers.
Several Mumbai residents were affected with the disease after the rains in July.
Jet Airways has introduced 11 Boeing 737 daily flights between Delhi and Mumbai to meet the summer rush.
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